glm-5.2
dd1ca1de70
Spec the vault crate from its existing implementation. The vault is stable (implementation exists); this spec documents what IS so the implementation-sync agent can reconcile source drift. New spec documents (crates/vault/): - README.md — crate index, security constraints, public API - mnemonic-derivation.md — BIP39, SLIP-0010, BIP-0032, derivation paths - encryption.md — AES-256-GCM, EncryptedData, key versioning, salt - service.md — VaultServiceHandle lifecycle, actor dispatch, cache - protocol.md — VaultProtocol irpc messages, DerivedKey redaction New ADRs: - ADR-018: Vault as standalone crate (zero alknet deps; own types/errors) - ADR-019: Vault assembly-layer-only access (CLI is sole caller) New open questions: - OQ-20: Salt/KDF Phase B (open, low priority — salt field reserved) - OQ-21: Remote vault administration (deferred — needs ADR if ever needed) - OQ-22: Key rotation mechanism (open, low priority — workflow not specced) Spec-vs-source drift explicitly flagged (for the sync agent): - rand::random() used for IVs instead of OsRng (security-critical) - unwrap() on every RwLock acquisition (must use unwrap_or_else) - ADR-038 / OQ-SVC-03 references in source comments are stale (old numbering) - VaultServiceActor::spawn returns a non-functional second actor (source bug) - KeyVersionMismatch error variant is defined but unused in v1
status, last_updated
| status | last_updated |
|---|---|
| draft | 2026-06-19 |
Alknet Architecture
Current State
Pre-implementation. The project has completed a pivot from a three-layer model to an ALPN-as-service model. The greenfield workspace contains only alknet-vault (stable — implementation exists) and research/reference material. Foundational ADRs (001–019) are in place, including the BiStream type definition (ADR-007), vault integration (ADR-008), ALPN router/endpoint (ADR-010), AuthContext structure (ADR-011), call protocol stream model (ADR-012), Rust as canonical implementation language (ADR-013), secret material flow with capability injection (ADR-014), privilege model with authority context (ADR-015), abort cascade for nested calls (ADR-016), call protocol client and adapter contract (ADR-017), vault standalone crate (ADR-018), and vault assembly-layer-only access (ADR-019). The alknet-core, alknet-call, and alknet-vault crate specs are in draft.
Next step: Review the vault spec documents (newly added), then begin implementation. All open questions for the core and call crates are resolved; the vault crate has three open/deferred OQs (OQ-20, OQ-21, OQ-22) that do not block implementation.
Architecture Documents
| Document | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| overview.md | draft | Workspace-level overview, crate graph, shared types, design principles |
| open-questions.md | draft | Centralized OQ tracker with door-type classifications |
| crates/core/README.md | draft | alknet-core crate index |
| crates/core/core-types.md | draft | ProtocolHandler, HandlerError, Connection, BiStream, StreamError |
| crates/core/endpoint.md | draft | ALPN router, HandlerRegistry, accept loop, shutdown |
| crates/core/auth.md | draft | AuthContext, Identity, IdentityProvider, AuthToken, resolution flow |
| crates/core/config.md | draft | StaticConfig, DynamicConfig, ArcSwap, ConfigReloadHandle |
| crates/call/README.md | draft | alknet-call crate index |
| crates/call/call-protocol.md | draft | CallAdapter, EventEnvelope framing, stream model, PendingRequestMap, bidirectional calls, streaming subscribe example |
| crates/call/operation-registry.md | draft | OperationSpec, Handler, OperationRegistry, AccessControl, capability injection, service discovery, irpc integration |
| crates/vault/README.md | draft | alknet-vault crate index |
| crates/vault/mnemonic-derivation.md | draft | BIP39, SLIP-0010, BIP-0032, derivation paths, key types |
| crates/vault/encryption.md | draft | AES-256-GCM, EncryptedData, key versioning, salt (Phase B reserved) |
| crates/vault/service.md | draft | VaultServiceHandle lifecycle, actor dispatch, cache, error model |
| crates/vault/protocol.md | draft | VaultProtocol irpc messages, DerivedKey redaction, serialization |
ADR Table
| ADR | Title | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | ALPN-Based Protocol Dispatch | Accepted |
| 002 | ProtocolHandler Trait | Accepted |
| 003 | Crate Decomposition | Accepted |
| 004 | Auth as Shared Core (IdentityProvider) | Accepted |
| 005 | irpc as Call Protocol Foundation | Accepted |
| 006 | ALPN String Convention and Connection Model | Accepted |
| 007 | BiStream Type Definition | Accepted |
| 008 | Vault Integration Point | Accepted |
| 009 | One-Way Door Decision Framework | Accepted |
| 010 | ALPN Router and Endpoint | Accepted |
| 011 | AuthContext Structure and Resolution Flow | Accepted |
| 012 | Call Protocol Stream Model | Accepted |
| 013 | Rust as Canonical Implementation Language | Accepted |
| 014 | Secret Material Flow and Capability Injection | Accepted |
| 015 | Privilege Model and Authority Context | Accepted |
| 016 | Abort Cascade for Nested Calls | Accepted |
| 017 | Call Protocol Client and Adapter Contract | Accepted |
| 018 | Vault as Standalone Crate | Accepted |
| 019 | Vault Assembly-Layer-Only Access | Accepted |
Open Questions
See open-questions.md for the full tracker.
Resolved one-way doors:
- OQ-01: BiStream type — trait with Connection parameter (ADR-007)
- OQ-02: AuthContext timing — hybrid model (ADR-004)
- OQ-03: ALPN naming —
alknet/prefix, no version (ADR-006) - OQ-05: Multi-connectivity endpoint — quinn + iroh, both feature-gated (ADR-010)
- OQ-06: ALPN per connection, not per stream (ADR-006)
- OQ-08: Vault integration — CLI-embedded, assembly-layer only (ADR-008, ADR-014)
- OQ-16: Safe vault operations for call protocol exposure — none for now (ADR-014)
- OQ-18: Privilege model —
internal= authority switch, External/Internal visibility, handler identity + scoped env (ADR-015) - OQ-17: Abort cascade —
call.abortedcascades to descendants; defaultabort-dependents,continue-runningopt-in (ADR-016) - OQ-15: Call protocol client and adapter contract —
CallClientopens connections;from_callimports remote ops; connection direction independent of call direction (ADR-017)
Resolved two-way doors:
- OQ-04: Dynamic handler registration — static at startup (ADR-010)
- OQ-07: Call protocol scope — bidirectional streams, EventEnvelope, ID-based correlation (ADR-012)
- OQ-11: Handler-level auth resolution observability — handlers store resolved identity on Connection (Option B); two identity scopes: connection-level (observability) and per-request (ACL)
- OQ-12: TLS identity provisioning — two use cases: RFC 7250 raw keys (default, P2P) and X.509 certs (domain-hosted, browsers). ACME is a proven pattern.
- OQ-13: Operation path format —
/{service}/{op}is the correct design for alknet-call, not a simplification - OQ-14: Batch operation semantics — multiple correlated
call.requestedevents is the correct protocol design, not a simplification - OQ-19: Session-scoped registries — agent-written operations via
OperationEnvtrait layering; protocol doesn't need changes;OperationEnvmust remain a trait
Open (low priority, does not block implementation):
- OQ-20: Salt/KDF Phase B — the
EncryptedData.saltfield is reserved; v1 does not use it. Two-way door. - OQ-22: Key rotation mechanism — key versioning is in place; the rotation workflow is not specced. Two-way door.
Deferred (not active):
- OQ-09: WASM target boundaries — design constraint, not deliverable
- OQ-10: Git adapter scope — start with smart protocol, add ERC721 later
- OQ-21: Remote vault administration — network unlock not supported; needs ADR if ever needed
Document Lifecycle
| Status | Meaning | Transitions |
|---|---|---|
draft |
Under active development. May change significantly. | → reviewed when open questions are resolved |
reviewed |
Architecture is final. Implementation may begin. Changes require review. | → stable when implementation is complete and verified |
stable |
Locked. Changes require review and may warrant an ADR. | → deprecated when superseded |
deprecated |
Superseded. Kept for reference. | Removed when no longer referenced |
References
- Pivot proposal:
docs/research/pivot/alpn-service-architecture.md - Cleanup plan:
docs/research/pivot/cleanup-plan.md - SDD process:
docs/sdd_process.md - Reference implementation:
/workspace/@alkdev/alknet-main/